Honourable Fahie was speaking at the Investiture Ceremony for Dr Richard W. Georges, who was installed as 7th President of HLSCC at Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium on Thursday, January 28, 2021.

“We must understand that the foundation of this college was birthed in controversy, the foundation of this college was birthed where the majority were saying that it was not needed,” Premier Fahie said.

“Today not only that the college has produced many with degrees, but the college has birthed a president, and for this, we must salute the legacy of the late H. L. Stoutt.”

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie said he is pleased that despite the challenges the administration of the late H. Lavity Stoutt faced constructing the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC), its perseverance continues to pay off.

We need leaders like you

While congratulating Dr Georges who became the first alumni to hold the position of HLSCC President, Premier Fahie said he was looking forward to his tenure to being “a great and impactful one.”

“We have been hearing for some time now that the world needs more leaders and I say to you that the BVI needs more leaders today more than ever and solid leaders such as Dr Georges.”

The territory’s leader then charged Dr Georges to work hard as he has always done.

“I charge him to continue to pull our people in the direction of making sure that they continue to advance themselves. I call on the alumni to strengthen this institution with the future in mind and let us continue to challenge our people to continue to fulfil their purpose. Let us continue to push this college to a four-year university not just physically but now online. Let us attract learners from abroad, internationally and from the region.”

Premier and Minister of Finance, Honourable Andrew A. Fahie, right, speaking at the Investiture Ceremony for President of H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Dr Richard W. Georges, on Thursday, January 28, 2021.

Inaugural address

Addressing the ceremony, Dr Georges said it was a privilege and a great responsibility to be chosen to serve.

He was serving as the Interim Acting President since October 22, 2019, and has functioned in various capacities such as Head of the Humanities Department and Director of Institutional Advancement at the educational institution.

He is also an award-winning author, and in 2020 he was appointed as the territory’s first Poet Laureate.

Dr Georges possesses a bachelor’s degree in English from Texas Christian University, a master’s degree in creative writing and a doctorate in critical and creative writing from Sussex University.

The goal

“I will listen, I will communicate with vigour, urgency and sincerity. My goal will be to increase understanding wherever possible, to retain self-respect and love for each other in our dealings, to respect the loyalty, dedication, and quality of our faculty and staff,” he remarked.

He then vowed to do his best to fulfil all the duties of this office with dignity, with reverence, and a dedication to fairness and the betterment of HLSCC and the territory it serves.

“I only ask of you that you commit with me to be engaged in daily deliberations of a single question, what Dr Martin Luther King Jr described as life’s persistent and most urgent question: What are you doing for others? I ask that you stand with me even though we will not always agree; committed to making our college a better place every day for our students and for the wider community,” he said.